The Tendency to Remain the Same
by welcome ghosts
Summary: It’s been almost a year since Allison Cameron left Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. So what will happen when she turns up in the clinic with a sick child? Please read, and REVIEW! [HouseCameron :D]
1. Bye, stick

Hi! Although this isn't my first foray into fanfiction as a whole, it is my first attempt at any type of House story. That being said, any type of comment is greatly appreciated. Constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms, especially in regards to characterization. (I now have a new respect for the people who write his snarkiness for a living.) Basically, review, and I will love you forever. Thanks for reading. Now, on with the story.

Disclaimer: Although I asked for Christmas, these characters (with the exception of Hannah) don't belong to me. Maybe next year… ;)

* * *

"Shh, Hannah. The doctor will be here in a second and we can get you some medicine," Cameron said, bouncing the small, crying child on her lap. The girl's crying had been almost non-stop that day, and although she was pretty sure she knew the cause, she had decided to give the Princeton- Plainsboro clinic a try.

_Maybe Foreman or Chase will come, it'd be good to see them, it's been so long. Or maybe it'll be someone new; I must be replaced by now. Anybody would be fine, really, except for…_

"Alright," called a voice, "whose baby won't shut up? I've got a headache, and oddly enough, the shrill, piercing cries aren't helping matters."

"Hi, House."

_Of course. With all the doctors in this hospital, it would only be fitting for House to be Hannah's._

"Cameron?" For a moment, House appeared genuinely glad, and surprised, to see her, but the look faded so quickly that Cameron was sure she had imagined it. "Fancy meeting you here. Seeing as you quit almost a year ago… He paused briefly, gesturing at herself and the baby, before speaking again, "Let me guess, as soon as you left, you ran into the nearest bar and seduced the first guy you saw."

"House-" Cameron started, trying to cut him off. It was amazing how quickly he fell back into bantering her- he'd never change. He even looked the same. Those eyes… It was almost as if she'd never left.

"Unfortunately," he continued, undeterred, "this comes with consequences. And in this case, a pint-sized consequence."

"House!" Cameron said again, impatience flooding her voice. "She isn't mine. She's my niece."

She chanced a glance at House, who was watching Hannah closely. It wasn't surprising that he had thought Hannah was hers. Cameron and her older sister looked similar enough, and the child had their brown hair. Smiling faintly, she looked at House again. He didn't respond.

"My sister's daughter."

"That's what niece tends to mean," he retorted, his eyes still trained on the child, whose wailing had now subsided to soft sobs. "Although it does beg the question- where is the _actual_ mother?"

"Molly couldn't make it. I've been staying with her since I left- she only lives about 15 minutes away. And since the father isn't around much, I volunteered to take Hannah."

"Isn't around much as in _dead_? She marry someone with terminal cancer too? I guess it runs in the family."

"No, she just fell for the wrong person."

"Lucky for her," House said, vaguely contemplating the fact that Cameron hadn't looked hurt for a moment. _Had she really been gone a year?_

"_Anyway," _Cameron said forcefully, carefully trying to cover up how much those words had stung, "Hannah's been crying non-stop, she won't lay down on her side, and she has right ear pain."

"Differential diagnosis?" House asked, his mouth curving upward slightly.

Cameron laughed softly. "I think it's only an ear infection. She just needs antibiotics."

"Wow, it's like you're a _doctor_!" House said in mock admiration. As he spoke, his hand dug into his pocket, attempting to locate the vicodin bottle. When he found it, he popped off the lid and swallowed two pills. "And even though you knew what was wrong, you still bothered to bring her to this wonderfully happy place?"

"Molly wanted a second opinion."

"Doesn't trust you, I see," House said. "Well, that's what it is. I'll write her a prescription."

"So, have a case?" Cameron questioned, not so much out of curiosity, but rather to fill the silence as House filled out a script.

"Yes, but the ducklings are taking care of blood work right now, so Cuddy made me come down here until the results are back." He scowled heavily at the mention of Cuddy's name.

"Awwy!"

Both House and Cameron immediately looked to Hannah, all discussion of medicine forgotten.

"Is she hurt?" House asked, eyeing Hannah with suspicion.

"No, no. She's just trying to say my name- Ally."

"I see."

"Look, Awwy. Stick!" Hannah cried, her pudgy hand outstretched.

_What is she talking about? Did she get a hold of a thermometer or something?_

Utterly confused, Cameron followed Hannah's pointing finger to something that made her burst into laughter.

"It's not nice to make fun of cripples, you know," House quipped, fingers drumming on his cane.

"Hannah," Cameron said, "that's not a stick, it's a cane."

"Stick, stick!" Hannah squealed, clapping her hands in delight.

"I see your sister takes great pride in her child's intelligence."

"Hannah's smart," Cameron said indignantly. "She's just never seen a cane before."

"All the same…"

Cameron almost laughed in spite of herself, but managed to check her watch to hide her smile. "Oh, I didn't mean to take this much time. I guess I should let you get going. Cuddy'll be after you soon enough."

"Oh goody! Another hour diagnosing idiots with things shoved up their-"

Cameron cleared her throat loudly. "Just give me the prescription, House."

"Fine, fine," he said with a wave of his hand. He leaned toward Cameron and handed her the paper. "Here you are, pretty lady."

"Thanks," she muttered. Cameron watched as he made to leave the room.

"Bye, stick!" Hannah cried, waving as House walked away.

"Bye, House," Cameron called, her chest feeling oddly tight.

A_pparently, House isn't the only one who hasn't changed. I'm still not over him._


	2. Running into Wilson

Hi! First, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. You guys are my favorites ever. –hugs- So, I wrote this chapter super fast, and I hope it doesn't disappoint. I know that Cameron's thoughts (the bits that are italicized) are a bit contradictory, considering she just admitted she wasn't over House last chapter, but well, she's still in denial about it. Poor Cameron. ;) Well, I hope it all makes sense. If it doesn't, and this whole chapter is obnoxiously stupid and Cameron is OOC, feel free to tell me in a review. I love feedback of all kinds. And on a side note, NEW EPISODE OF HOUSE TOMORROW:D

Disclaimer: Nope, they still don't belong to me.

* * *

Cameron watched as the clinic door closed with a loud bang. She sighed heavily before picking up Hannah and walking out of the exam room.

_Coming here was a mistake. _

Seeing House for the first time in almost a year had completely thrown her off guard. One look had assured her that the eleven months she had spent trying to tell herself that she was over House had been useless. Nothing good could come from this.

_I should've just taken Hannah to Princeton General—then none of this would've happened. I knew that if I came I'd have a chance of running into him. _

Cameron refused to continue her thoughts about bringing Hannah here—knowing that somewhere down the line she would have to own up to the fact that the reason she had come here, was to see House again. And she wasn't going to do that, because she had just spent so much time training herself to hate him. Even though it was obvious she didn't. Her confession after seeing him moments ago had confirmed this. Cameron had just admitted to herself that she wasn't over him.

_But I AM over him, _she argued with herself_. I don't actually still have feelings for him. In the exam room, I just realized I missed him. That's okay. I'm allowed to miss friends. And that's all House is. A friend._

To convince herself of this, just in case she forgot, she repeated a phrase over to herself as she left the clinic.

It became her mantra.

_I'm over him. I'm over him._

She tried in vain for a few minutes before she allowed herself to think about how moments ago, when her chest had felt oddly constricted as House left the room, that her being 'over' him could not be further from the truth.

_I'm not over him._

Cameron made her way towards the pharmacy where she could fill her Hannah's prescription.

_At least House won't be here. He has to be off badgering some patient with a cold who's convinced she has the Plague, or something. Maybe I'll have some time to put my guard back up. Just because I'm not over him, doesn't mean I have to talk to him about it._

As soon as she reached the pharmacy counter and set the script down, she heard a voice calling her name.

"Allison!" She tensed immediately, her mind racing with the thought that it might be House. It was only slightly comforting to realize that House would rather give up his Gameboy than call Cameron by her first name. She sighed almost inaudibly; it was only Wilson.

"I thought that was you," the oncologist said brightly. "So, what brings you back here after almost a year?"

"My niece, Hannah, has an ear infection. I just came to get a prescription." Cameron smiled at her friend. After becoming aware that it wasn't House calling her, she remembered how much she had missed Wilson.

"That's too bad," Wilson replied. "But at least it let you come back for a little while."

"Yeah," Cameron said, almost wistfully, "I have missed everyone."

"I guess you're still working for Yule, right?"

_Oh no. How do I answer that? He'll tell House whatever I say, and then House will know I haven't been working since I quit. He'll probably think I still like him. Which I do. But he doesn't need to know that._

"Actually," Cameron admitted, deciding House would find out eventually anyway, "my sister needed some help taking care of Hannah, so I decided not to take the job at Jefferson."

"Oh," Wilson said, surprised at her answer. They both paused awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. He had had no idea she hadn't taken the fellowship offer.

"So, how's the new duckling?" Cameron asked finally, speaking more to fill the silence that had fallen, than out of actual interest. She really didn't want to hear about House's new underling.

_I've got to learn how to keep my mouth shut and endure the quiet._

"Well," Wilson began, watching as Cameron shifted Hannah from one arm to the other. The child was now resting sleepily on Cameron's shoulder, all ear pain momentarily forgotten, still in bright spirits from seeing the 'stick'.

Cameron couldn't quite declare the same contentedness— she knew she wasn't over House, but she was still having a hard time admitting it to herself. She waited for Wilson to continue, but when he didn't say anything, she prompted, "Are they adjusting to having an abrasive boss well? Any of them cried yet?"

Wilson couldn't help but notice the bitterness that encumbered Cameron's voice. He hadn't realized how much she missed it here.

"Well," he said again, finally speaking, "the whole deal with Vogler has finally blown over, but you quitting really threw House for a loop."

"You're not answering the question, Wilson."

_Why am I asking him this? I don't want to hear the answer to the question._

"Sorry."

"Oh," Cameron trailed off, hoping he would finish. Wilson seemed to be dancing around telling her about the new doctor. She hoped the answer was interesting—Hannah wanted to get home, and Cameron really needed to get the prescription. She didn't want to wait around much longer.

Wilson sighed deeply, as if this was extremely hard for him to say.

"It's only Foreman and Chase here. House has gone through countless interviews and always claims something's wrong with the person he's talking to. Cuddy's finally given up on getting a third doctor working for him again."

"What?" Cameron asked, both confusion and surprise washing over her in an odd mixture of feeling.

_Given up on getting a third doctor?_

"Allison, House never replaced you.


	3. A Job Offer of Sorts

-waves at readers- A huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far!

In case anyone is wondering, I think there'll be two more chapters after this, and maybe an epilogue. I'm not quite sure. And I actually have another House/Cam story idea for after this, so I'm excited. But I'm rambling. I doubt you guys care. For this story, I do know that Cameron will be bringing Hannah to work next chapter, and if you review, it might be typed a little faster… Just kidding! Regardless of reviews, there should be an update soon.

So, I think that's it. As always, please let you know what you think- REVIEW! Constructive criticism is loved. :D

Disclaimer: -checks- Darn, they still aren't mine. ;)

* * *

"_Allison, House never replaced you."  
_

The words echoed throughout her mind as she walked away from Wilson.

_Why hadn't he hired someone else? Did that have a double meaning? Maybe he had liked me after all… _

Cameron sighed, shaking out all thoughts of House; her head was beginning to pound, and Hannah was on the verge of tears.

She clenched the small bag with the medicine inside, trying to focus on other things. It took her a moment to realize she was holding it so tightly that her knuckles were beginning to turn white.

"Awwy!" Hannah whined. "My ear hurts!"

"I know, Hannah," Cameron soothed. "We're almost done here."

Cameron continued to walk towards the hospital exit doors, but as soon as they were in sight, she heard her name again.

"Dr. Cameron!"

_Who is it now? I have to get home. I have to get out of this hospital. _

She turned around, preparing to make this conversation as fast as possible. Cameron's eyes widened slightly at whom she saw standing in front of her. This time, it was Dr. Cuddy.

"Dr. Cuddy," Cameron said in greeting.

"Dr. Cameron, I thought that was you. I just passed by Wilson and he said you were here."

"My niece has an ear infection," Cameron explained for what felt like the tenth time that day. She gestured to Hannah, who was watching her aunt and Cuddy with interest. Her niece's tears seemed to have abated when the administrator began talking, and Cameron hoped Hannah wouldn't start screaming again now.

"Sorry to hear that." She paused briefly before clearing her throat. Cameron thought it looked like Cuddy wanted to ask her something, but didn't know how.

"Well, I need to get going," Cameron said, hoping she could get away before Cuddy could say anything else. "It was nice seeing you."

"Dr. Cameron!" Cuddy finally called, as Cameron was turning around to leave. "Would you like your old job back?"

Cameron stopped dead in her tracks.

"My old job?" she queried. That was not at all what she had been expecting.

"Yes, you could work under House again. I know you didn't take your job offer at Jefferson, and House has been, well, more of an ass since you left, if that's even possible, so I thought I'd just ask."

"Oh," Cameron muttered, surprise etched onto her face.

_My old job? Do I want to work for him again? _

The answer was a resounding yes, but the part of Cameron that thought rationally was screaming about the reason she had quit in the first place. The larger part of her, the part that desperately wanted to agree, was trying to rationalize taking her job back.

_He's one of the best diagnosticians in the country. Hell, he's probably the best diagnostician in the country. It's a great opportunity. I could just distance myself from him more. And even if I still like him, he doesn't like me, so nothing will happen. The only thing that'll change is that I have a job again._

"I knew you probably wouldn't want to, but I wanted to offer," Cuddy said, jerking Cameron out of her thoughts. "And, the head of the Immunology Department is retiring in a few years, so you'd have another job after you stopped working for House.

Cameron smiled. "I want the job," she stated. She'd try it out again.

"Really?" Cuddy said, returning Cameron's grin. "I'm glad."

Cameron nodded, affirming Cuddy's question, and caught a glance at the clock. She'd been here for almost two hours.

"I really need to get going," Cameron said. She hoped all the paperwork could be taken care of the next day. Her headache was letting up, and poor Hannah still hadn't had her medicine.

"That's fine," Cuddy said. "I'll tell House to expect you tomorrow then."

As if on cue, the distinctive sound of cane came into earshot.

"Stick!" Hannah cheered. Cameron laughed softly, she was glad that Hannah still hadn't begun crying once more.

Cuddy turned around to watch House approach.

"House!" she called. "I have a third doctor for you."

"I don't want a third doctor," House replied immediately, heading towards the exit. "Cramps my style."

"House!" Cuddy threatened.

"Please, Mommy," House said in the perfect imitation of a six year old, "don't make me do it!"

"Not an option House. She starts tomorrow."

"Do I even get the pleasure of meeting the idiot who'll be working with my team? I want to make sure she can play nice with the other ducklings. Chase is pretty sensitive."

"You've already met her," Cuddy said.

"The hooker from last night?" House quipped. "I didn't know she had a medical degree…"

Cameron scoffed. "It's me."

House turned to look at Cameron. "You took the job with Yule." It was a statement and not a question. Cameron had been right it assuming he had no idea she'd never accepted the offer.

"I never took it."

House gave her one of his characteristic unreadable stares, leaving Cameron with the distinct impression that his blue eyes could look right through her.

"Fine," he said finally. "I'll see you tomorrow."

House began walking again. He was almost out the door when he turned his head and shouted, "Don't be late!"

"I won't," Cameron called back, a smile playing on her lips.

Cameron said a quick goodbye to Cuddy and then began to leave.

"Okay, Hannah," she whispered to her niece, "let's go home."

Cameron turned towards the doors and began walking out of the hospital doors slowly, thinking about how she'd be back in the morning.

_Maybe nothing will happen. Maybe I'll just be a doctor to him, and he'll just be my boss to me. Maybe it will be different this time._

It didn't matter that Cameron knew she was lying to herself.


	4. Take Hannah to Work Day

Thanks for reviewing, you guys! I wrote this as fast as I could. It's the longest yet, which I hope is good, and not boring. :p I avoided the medical part as much as I could, seeing as I have no clue what the team would do.

Cameron is staying at her sister's house, if that wasn't clear, by the way. And Hannah, if anyone is wondering, is about two. She's also very attached to her Aunty "Awwy," which is why she has a little fit in this chapter. Well, you'll see. ;) The next/ending chapter is almost completely written, so I should be updating shortly.

If you have any questions/comments/criticism, please review! It will make me super happy. :D

Disclaimer: I do own Hannah! But sadly, no one else is mine. –grumbles-

* * *

Cameron's alarm went off early the next morning.

It was a few moments before she realized why she was awaking prematurely.

_Work. I have my old job back. I need to get up._

Cameron rolled out of bed slowly, hitting her hand on the alarm to turn off its incessant beeping. She had taken a shower the night before, so she dressed quickly and pulled her hair back into a messy bun.

She walked out of the guest room she had been staying in, past her sister's room, and headed towards the kitchen. Cameron knew that Molly would be at work, and Hannah would be already gone for the day, so she would have the small apartment to herself. Molly had arranged for Hannah to stay with a family friend for the day, until they could enroll her in a daycare. Cameron had been in charge of watching Hannah while her sister was at work, but now that she was going back to the hospital, she felt a little guilty about having to give up that responsibility. Her sister had assured her it was fine, and that she hadn't expected Cameron to be a babysitter forever.

So, needless to say, Cameron was rightfully shocked when she found Molly sitting with Hannah on her lap at the kitchen table.

"Molly?" Cameron asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Jane called," Molly said, looking frazzled, "to let me know that she has a fever, and can't watch Hannah for today."

"Is there anyone else you can call?"

"I tried, but everyone I asked is already gone, or already busy."

"What are you going to do?" Cameron questioned, fully knowing what her sister was about to ask.

"Allison, could you take the day off and watch her? I know it's your first day, but if I miss work again I'll be fired. I can't be fired, this job pays well, and I need the money. I'm already late as it is. House knows you. He won't fire you, right?"

_I can't miss my first day back. Not right after Cuddy asked me—they'll think I'm not going to be able to handle House anymore. What do I do?_

"Molly," Cameron said carefully, having been struck with an idea, "what if I took Hannah with me to work? The hospital has a daycare, and I could get the woman working to watch Hannah for a little while. They know me; it shouldn't be a problem…"

Molly visibly relaxed. "Oh, that would be great! I don't know why I didn't think of it before. The hospital daycare…"

Cameron smiled at her sister; being a single mother had taken its toll on Molly. She was glad to help out as much as she could.

"I need to get going though," Cameron said. "I don't want to be late."

"Okay," Molly said. "Hannah, you're going to work with Aunt Ally today. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Yes, yes!" Hannah shouted, toddling over to Cameron.

"Alright," Cameron said, picking up her niece, "we're leaving now."

"Bye, Allison! Thanks!"

"No problem," she called as she walked out of the house.

The drive to the hospital was uneventful, with Hannah happily sitting in her carseat. Once at Princeton Plainsboro, Cameron held Hannah's hand as they made their way towards the daycare center.

"Excuse me," Cameron said politely, when she reached the counter, "I'd like to drop off my niece."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I'll just need you to sign her in, and then you can go ahead and leave."

"Sounds perfect," Cameron said with a smile. _Maybe this will turn out fine._ "Okay, Hannah, you're going to be staying here for the day. I'll be back really so-"

It was at this exact moment that Hannah began to cry.

"No leave!" she shouted, pulling on Cameron's leg. "Awwy stay!"

"Hannah, I have a job. I have to go work," Cameron explained. "You need to stay here."

"No! No!"

"_Please_, Hannah. You need to stay here. I can't take you with me."

"Stay!"

_I'm going to be late._

"I'm really sorry," Cameron apologized to the woman at the daycare center. "She's not normally this way."

Hannah's crying didn't lessen, and Cameron couldn't decide what to do.

_Do I leave her here, and just let her cry? Or do I take her with me? Maybe she could just stay in House's office._ Cameron shook her head. _Molly would kill me if I left her unattended._

"I no stay here!" Hannah screamed, her small face turning tomato red.

Cameron sighed. "I'll just take her with me for a while. If she calms down, maybe I'll bring her back."

The woman just smiled kindly; no doubt she saw this every day. "That would be fine."

"Let's go, Hannah," Cameron told her niece, picking up the girl.

She made her way to the conference room, where the team was probably waiting for her.

_What a sight I'll be when I come in carrying a screaming two year old…_

She slid open the door, and walked inside.

"When I said don't be late," House called as soon as she entered, "it wasn't code for come fifteen minutes after we started."

"I'm sorry," Cameron said, walking to her normal spot. She sat down, and a feeling of familiarity washed over her. She had missed it here.

"Glad you're back," Foreman and Chased said at the same time. Cameron supposed House had told them she would be coming back to work today.

They smiled broadly at her, before turning back to the whiteboard. There were already a few symptoms listed.

"It also wasn't code for bring your sister's offspring to work day, either."

Cameron groaned. "I'm sorry. It's a long story. She was supposed to go to a friend's house, but that fell through, and she threw a tantrum at the daycare center here, so I just brought her with me. She'll be good, I promise."

"O-kay," House said, drawing out the word. "Hopefully it won't distract the other ducklings."

He turned back to the board, and began reading off symptoms.

"Differential diagnosis, people." House paused before adding, "And baby."

Cameron opened her mouth to suggest a cause, but was cut off by a cry of, "Stick!"

Foreman and Chase both began laughing, and Cameron smiled too, although her happiness was more due to the fact that her niece wasn't screaming anymore.

"It's not nice to laugh at someone's lack of intelligence," House said.

"Hannah _is _smart," Cameron alleged.

"You keep saying that, but it's yet to be determined." House took a step forward, and leaned toward Hannah. "Can you say, "Vicodin?"

"Vike-don," Hannah repeated.

"There's hope," House announced. "Can you say, "Everybody lies?"

"'body lies!" Hannah clapped her hands together, clearly enjoying the attention.

"And finally, can you say, "Encephalitis?"

"Enceftis!"

"Smart," House agreed. "And speaking of," he continued, gesturing his left hand towards the board, "go test for it. It's the most likely cause of our guy's symptoms."

Foreman and Chase both stood to leave to room, smiling at Hannah before they left.

Cameron stood as well. "I'm going to run her back down to the day care, and hopefully she won't put up a fight this time. I'll be back in a minute."

She bent slightly to pick up Hannah, who was currently toddling around on the floor. But before she could grab her, Hannah stumbled on the carpet, and smacked into House's leg.

"Oops," Hannah said happily from her spot on the ground, clearly unfazed by the collision.

Leaning heavily on his cane, House bent forward and grabbed Hannah's hand, with the intention of pulling her up. The only problem was that Cameron had done the exact same thing already.

Cameron stared at his hand, which was covering hers, for a moment.

_He chose now to be helpful? And why isn't he pulling away?_

After what seemed like forever to Cameron, House finally spoke. "Better hurry," he said, straightening back up. "The other ducklings will probably screw something up soon enough, and I'll need you to fix it."

"Right," Cameron muttered, picking up Hannah, who had, thanks to House and Cameron, by then been standing. She turned and walked away, heading out of the conference room. "Right."

* * *

**Extra Notes from Me:** Did that last part make sense? Basically, Cameron put her hand on Hannah's, and then House did. So his hand ended up on top of Cameron's. Sort of like they were holding hands. Just a little tension there. :D  
And, review!!!

v


	5. Confrontations in the Office

-cheers- Final chapter! The whole 'theme' of this one was that things don't change as much as they should- despite of the fact that order tends to disorder. Thermodynamics at its best, right mishy-mo? ;) But the reason for the title is in the very last lines. Oh, I'm pretty sure there's not going to be an epilogue, because I'm happy with this ending. I hope you guys like it, and don't think House is too OOC. -worries-

Anyway, a huge thanks to everyone who read my first House fic, it means a lot. :D I have another House idea bouncing around, so maybe you guys can check that out once I get around to writing it! Hope you enjoy the last chapter, and as always, please review!

Disclaimer: I've begged and begged, but they still won't give the characters   
to me. I can't imagine why… :p 

It had been two weeks since Cameron had returned to Princeton Plainsboro. In those fourteen days, nothing, with the exception of the 'inadvertent hand holding' when Hannah had been there, had happened. Working for House this time around was the same.

And she hadn't really expected anything different. The cutting remarks were still there, his pills were a constant, and Cameron was always the first of the team at the hospital, making coffee.

Part of her wished she had just stayed away, while the other half was glad to be back. The part that was happy to be working again liked to believe that while House's sarcasm was ever-present, the undertone was less cruel than before.

_At the very least_, Cameron would tell herself, _being here has to be better than working with Yule._

The morning of the fourteenth day found Cameron sorting mail in House's office. This was another of the things that hadn't changed when she had returned.

Cameron was setting an invitation to a conference in Seattle into the 'things I have no reason to read' pile, when the office door slid open.

"Dr. House," Cameron said, when she saw him in the doorway.

"Up," House commanded by way of greeting, and began limping towards her.

Cameron carefully placed the conference letter onto the pile that was significantly larger than 'to read' stack, and stood. She quickly moved around his desk so she could stand in front of him.

"You can stop your secretarial duties. We have a patient," House explained, waving a file in front of her face. "I know you love mail sorting, but the whole 'saving people' thing is actually a part of the job."

"You found a patient all by yourself?" Cameron asked, feigning shock.

"It was either I make the ducklings perform endless tests at my command and avoid patients all together, or spend my day rotting away in the clinic, talking to people who claim they have smallpox. It's pretty obvious I chose the former."

"I see," Cameron said, hoping the case was interesting. "What do you want me to do?"

"Gather the troops and assemble in the conference room. We attack at 0600."

Cameron rolled her eyes.

"Get Foreman and Chase, and show them the file. It's not life threatening at the moment, so we have some time to spare," House said. "I'll be in as soon as I clean your cooties off my desk."

"Right," Cameron said, and began walking away past him.

"Cameron." The sound of his voice reached her ears and she turned back around.

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you accept the offer from Yule?" he asked. Whatever Cameron had been expecting certainly wasn't this.

_Because he wasn't you._

"Does it matter why?" was what she actually said.

"Depends on your answer." House took a step towards her, closing the distance.

"Because my sister needed help taking care of Hannah." It was the half-truth, at least. Cameron didn't think he needed the whole truth.

"And she doesn't now?"

"Hannah's older, and Molly understands she can't keep have me baby-sit forever."

"But why did you take _this_ job back? I'm sure you had other offers."

_Why does he care? And where's his sarcasm?_

"Because you're a great diagnostician, you're the-" Cameron stopped suddenly when House took another step forward. It was the closest he'd been to her since he had held onto her hand her first day back. She barely had time to register what was happening when his hand shot out and touched her face gently.

And then he kissed her.

For a few blissful seconds, Cameron kissed him back, not believing what he was doing. But almost as soon at it had started, she pulled back abruptly.

He looked at her, surprised by her sudden action.

_What is he doing to me?_

"I can't, House!" Cameron said, her voice rising, finally daring to let some of her emotion out. "I left because you didn't like me. And I can't come back and have you kiss me in your office! I can't come back here and have you screw around with me!"

_What is he doing to me?_

Cameron bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly, refusing to cry. She knew she was right in breaking the kiss, and she _also_ knew she needed to leave before he spoke again. If he did, he'd break her resolve. Cameron turned and began to walk away, but as soon as she had taken a step, something hit her shins and stopped her.

House's cane.

"I can't," she repeated, her voice breaking. She didn't turn around.

_I have to protect myself. I'm not over him, but I know he doesn't like me, I asked him. _Cameron'smind automatically replayed the scene from almost a year prior. The scene she had thought about innumerable times after she had quit. The scene where he had said he hadn't liked her. Cameron had no clue what House was playing at now, but he had made his feelings clear early on.

_They like you; everyone likes you,_ he had said

_Do you like me? I have to know._

"Yes."

_What?_

It was House. Cameron turned around, confused. It took her a moment to realize she had spoken aloud.

"And you still like me," he continued. It was a statement, and not a question.

"You're still a misanthropic jerk," Cameron countered shakily, daring to look at him. She couldn't believe she had been repeating their conversation out loud.

"Some things," House replied, his lips twitching upward, "have the tendency to remain the same."

And this time, when House kissed her, Cameron didn't pull away.


End file.
